MIRAGE Definition & Meaning

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mirage

[ mi-rahzh ]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

noun

an optical phenomenon, especially in the desert or at sea, by which the image of some object appears displaced above, below, or to one side of its true position as a result of spatial variations of the index of refraction of air.
something illusory, without substance or reality.
Synonyms: , ,
Mirage, Military. any of a series of supersonic, delta-wing, multirole French fighter-bombers.

mirage

/ ��ɪˈ��ɑː�� /

noun

an image of a distant object or sheet of water, often inverted or distorted, caused by atmospheric refraction by hot air
something illusory

mirage

/ ��ĭ-��ä��′ /

An image formed under certain atmospheric conditions, in which objects appear to be reflected or displaced or in which nonexistent objects seem to appear. For example, the difference in the index of refraction between a low layer of very hot air and a higher level of cold air can cause light rays, travelling down from an object (such as the sky or a cloud) and passing through ever warmer air, to be refracted back up again. An observer viewing these light rays perceives them coming up off the ground, and thus sees the inverted image of the object, which appears lower than the object really is. In this way the sky itself can be reflected, resulting in the mirage of a distant lake.

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�y��vlog History and Origins

Origin of mirage¹

First recorded in 1795–1805; from French, equivalent to (se) mir(er) “to look at (oneself), be reflected” (from Latin ��ī��ī “to wonder at”) + -age -age

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�y��vlog History and Origins

Origin of mirage¹

C19: from French, from ( se ) mirer to be reflected

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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

Yet even as he effused his liberal platform, Newsom couldn’t shake criticism from his opponents that his positions were a mirage.

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“That is why I think part of this is a mirage,” he said of the various investigations.

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But this willful belief in a smiling, sunny lie leads vulnerable people to embrace that mirage rather than face facts they need to swallow but won't enjoy tasting.

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In reality, Netanyahu’s fantasies of integrating Israel into the Middle East by normalizing its relations with regional governments such as Saudi Arabia are nothing more than a mirage born of arrogance and ignorance.

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But today, on this spot along the border with Thailand, a small city has emerged like a mirage.

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